Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Homeschooling 2010

Oh dear...I have been so slack in maintaining my blog. But I have good excuse...we have been very busy thru out 2010. It was truly a year filled with travelling and exploring new places. We came back from Malaysia Jan 2010, after a long 6 months stay. Junior really did had a good chance to be immerse in the language of Malay and Cantonese. This has help us progress now comfortably into our Malay language lessons.

Music is coming along really well, and this has continued onto 2011 strongly. Casual drumming lessons is now leading possible exams. Electric guitar lessons has also develop confidently...and this has led to possible bass guitar lessons in Spring term 2011.

We have been busy travelling as we had many overseas visitors descending upon our humble home. We made this epic journey Aylesbury (Roald Dhal Gallery) - Liverpool (World Musuem, Beatles Musuem) - Edinburgh (Dynamic Earth, Royal Scot Musuem, Obscura and a few more) - York (more musuems!!) TWICE in 2010 LOL!!

Then we went to Paris Disneyland, which itself was a very educationally experience for Junior as it really did involved all the usual meltdowns. From new beds to crowds to long journey (we drove)...he surprised us by taking it all in his stride.

Nearer to home, we had the glorious opportunity to see apple trees at its finest. We visited the West Dean a week before its 2010 Apple Festival. It was a beutiful day, and we all had a grand time ohhing and ahhing at the bountifully laden apple trees, from the deepest red to the palest yellow.

Reading is coming along still fine - we're still doing bedtime stories, and I thought it'll be a good idea to start dwelling into the world of classical authors. So, Enid Blyton has been a very entertaining host for many nights with her tales of Mr Pink Whistle and Mr Muddle. I was hoping to join the Famous Fives in thier many awesome adventures, however Junior is absolutely not a mystery person...so we never went on any intrepid adventures of the Fives...but we did discover Jules Vernes...and away we went, adventure 20,000 leagues under the sea. Journey to the centre of the earth was the next journey we took...somewhere along the way, we got distracted by Jack London with his Call of the Wild.

And Santa's present of a brand new Ipod was a fantastic move - lots of Ibook reading goin on.

Daily basis, still lots of playing on the floor - sticks, legos, transformers and cars. And we have implemented a daily schedule of "what to do" which is very helpful in helping both of us in organising ourselves. Ironically. We are supposed to be autonomous...but I do think in our instance, the autistic nature makes it difficult for us to be 100% autonomous - we're just too disorganised to be 100% autonomous. We're so bad in organisation skills and transitioning makes it even harder for us, that so much so, inertia seems to set in quiet easily into our lives.

Oh...yes, Matheletics. Started in 2010...slow and painful, but momentum has picked up in 2011, and now, Junior is happily working on his Matheletics on his own. Still working in Yr 3 (Junior wil be in Yr 5 this year) but I am happy to allow him to just play around until we moved his level up to Yr 4 in Spring term.

We ended 2010 and started 2011 with a very auspicious stay in a Buddhist temple in Doncaster and joined in a 5 day retreat. We saw Junior rise to the challenge of new environment, starnge beds, unfamiliar people and he did so well. He was chatty, confident, mingle well, stuck right in with the chores aroudn the centre...polite and most of all - not a single moan about lacking of tv nor the laptop. Tho in all honesty, he did have his Ipod with him...but even that, it was left behind in the bedroom, in favour of the great fantastic woodland taht surrounds the centre. Lots of activites to be part of - chopping trees, dragging logs, stackinglogs for firewood and many more.

Yes, it was a busy 2010...but now, it's Feb 2011...and today, I am feeling like we're not accomplished much since the Jan this year. And I am feeling very restless!!!

We spend alot of time cooped up in the house, the bad cold weather is not helping...we dont leave the house unless we necessarily had to. Our schedule is the usual - afteschool club @ Disability Challenges (twice a week), music lessons on Tuesdays, meet with local HEers Wednesday at nearby playgrd, swimming on Fridays.

Consolation is Junior's not been near nor touch the Xbox or Ps2 the past 3 months or so, interestingly. But lots of online gaming goin on...tv watching...youtube watching....late nights as we seems to have problems sleeping at night.

We have been making headways with writing slowly - just introduced cursive writings, after me giving up trying to make Junior understand the importance of writing certain alphabets in a certain way. I reckon, with curvises, he can clearly see how if he writes his alphabets in his own unique way, is not gonna be condusive to easy writings.

..And that's it really. Guessed, some travellings is required to help dispel this sense of restlessness...but again, with the present horrible weather...we seems to prefer warm cosy snuggling at home.